Horizon
by astrogirl13
Summary: Halt and Pauline marry early and adopt Will as their son after he loses his parents. He becomes William Halt O'Carrick. Read to find out more!
1. Chapter 1

Halt was fighting in the middle of the battle against the Wargals, leading one of the weak points in the front line. He was hacking and slashing Wargals left and right while the men behind him got rallied up. He was doing good until he was hit in the head by a Wargal while he was fighting another. He fell down and looked up at the two Wargals.

Both of them raised their weapons for the last blow. Halt thought of his friends and family, but what he thought of most was his wife. Pauline was the best thing that had ever happened to him. . He closed his eyes, and thought of all the good times he had with his beautiful wife. He waited for the blow to come, but instead he heard a clash of steel.

He looked up to see a soldier had struck one of the Wargals down and had blocked the downward thrust of the other's sword. The soldier smiled down at him. "Don't worry, Ranger."

The soldier pushed the Wargal back and struck it down. He went forward and started leading the line, thrusting with his spear. He blocked and deflected attacks expertly, holding the Wargals back. He started advancing forward, and one of the enemy broke off the end of his didn't stop the man. He simply started using it as a quarterstaff and spun it, hitting them. Halt watched in amazement as the man kept going. Everything was going well until the man was hit.

Halt managed to get to his feet and ran to the man. He knelt beside him, and his eyes widened at all the cuts. He looked over all of them until he noticed the one that stopped him. It was bad. The man looked up at Halt. "Ranger...I have a wife and a child...A baby boy..."

Halt took the man's hand. "Hold on. We'll get a medic for you. What's your name?"

The man spat out some blood then looked back up at Halt. "Daniel."  
"Daniel, just hold on."

Daniel just looked at Halt. "Please...Please find my wife and child...Make sure they're taken care of...Make...sure..." Daniel closed his eyes.

Halt tried shaking the man awake. "Daniel! Daniel!" A medic knelt on the other side and felt for Daniel's pulse. He then looked at Halt. "I'm sorry, Ranger...He's dead."

Halt looked down at him. "I'll find your wife and child, Daniel. I promise."

-

Halt found Daniel's wife and child, but he was too late to save the wife. Daniel's wife died by the hands of thieves from Daniel's own fief. Before she died, she told Halt the name of the baby. The baby's name was Will. Halt picked up the baby, and looked at him. He was peacefully sucking his thumb, not knowing the loss of his parents. His mother had pleaded Halt not to leave Will here. Halt followed her wish, but did one other thing that he could do for her before he left.

He buried her behind the house with an unmarked headstone since he didn't know the woman's name. Halt stood at the grave with Will in his arms, looking down at it. Will started crying and Halt soothed him. He took one last look at the grave and walked to his horse, Abelard. He swiftly mounted Abelard with one arm, and took the reins. He looked at the baby, and thought about what he was going to do. He looked at Will as he opened his eyes and giggled, reaching for Halt.

Halt smiled at the boy. He could decide when he got to Redmont where his wife was. He and his wife could talk it over. He tapped the reins three times and Abelard began moving, quickly getting to a gallop. They disappeared into the distance off to Redmont.


	2. Chapter 2

Halt came home that day to the cabin in the woods not far from Redmont village and castle. Pauline was cooking something that smelled delicious as he put his cloak and quiver of arrows on a hook near the door. He leaned his longbow against the wall near them and walked up to his wife, kissing her on the lips.

"How was your day?" Pauline asked, talking while she was still cooking.

Halt made himself a cup of coffee then sat down at the table. "Nothing interesting. The usual Ranger business."

Pauline nodded and cut up some carrots as their two sons ran into the cabin. "Will, I told you that I wanted to be the Ranger!" Shawn, the younger son of Halt and Pauline, yelled.

Halt and Pauline had adopted Shawn from the Redmont ward two years after they adopted Will. The two brothers got along well except when sharing toys and other things.

"You were the Ranger last time! It was your turn to be the outlaw!" Will exclaimed.

"No it wasn't!"

"Yes it was!"

"No-" "Enough, boys. It's time for you to do your chores." Halt interrupted Shawn.

The two boys looked over at their father.

"Dad!" both of the boys yelled. They ran over, tackling him.

It was a good thing that Halt had put his cup down on the table. Halt and the chair he was sitting in fell over as the boys hugged him. Halt chuckled to himself and returned the hug.

"What have I told you boys about tackling your father while he's sitting at the table? One day you're going to break that chair," Pauline scolded.

Will and Shawn got up, looking at their mother. "We're sorry, Mom. We won't do it again." Will said.

Will was now nine years old and Shawn was seven. Both of them knew they had been adopted, but didn't ask any questions about it.

Pauline sighed. "It's okay. Just don't do it again. Now go do what your father said."

Will and Shawn went out the door to do their respective chores.

Halt got up and picked up the chair then sat back down in it. He took a sip from his cup.

"What's for supper?" He asked.

Pauline went back to cooking. "Vegetable stew with bread."

Halt smiled. He loved his wife's stew, but the smile faded as he thought about what he wanted to talk about with his wife.

"Pauline, Will is going to turn ten next month. I'm not talking about doing this right away, but I want to start training Will to use a bow."

Pauline looked at her husband. "You want him to be able to defend himself?"

Halt nodded. "The earlier he starts, the better prepared he'll be. I know he may change his mind about being a Ranger, but it'll still be good if he learned."

Pauline looked back at her cooking, and started stirring the stew. "I agree. When are you going to start teaching him?"

Halt took another sip from his cup. "I'll give him a recurve bow for his birthday, and I'll start teaching him the next day."

Pauline paused to take the bread out of the ashes of the fire. "That's fine. Are you going to do the same for Shawn?"

Halt got up to get more coffee and stirred the stew while she cut the bread into for pieces. "Yes. I'll also start training Will to ride a horse once he turns twelve. Maybe teach him to track at twelve, too."

Pauline looked at him. "You've given this some thought, haven't you?"

He nodded and started ladling the stew into bowls. "Yes. I just want our sons to be able to protect themselves."

She put the pieces of bread on the table while Halt got spoons out. He then put the bowls on the table while she poured some water for herself, Will, and Shawn. Once the table was ready, Halt wrapped his arms around her waist.

She smiled. "I want the same for them. I'll leave what you teach them up to you."

He kissed her then let her go and went to the door. He opened it. "Will! Shawn! Supper's ready!"

They ran into the house and sat at their places. Will looked at his stew. "Mmmmm. I love Vegetable Stew."

"Your stew is the best, Mom" Shawn said after eating a bite of his.

Pauline smiled and sat down. "Thank you, honey."

Halt sat down also and started eating. He watched as his family enjoyed the meal and smiled to himself. He was glad that he had decided to marry Pauline and start this family.


	3. Chapter 3

Two years had passed since Will started training with the bow. He had good aim and just needed to keep on working with his speed. He also had learned tracking skills, how to ride a horse, and was good with throwing a knife. He had a saxe knife and a throwing knife that he got for his twelfth birthday. But, Will learned more than those skills. His mother had taught some of the skills of a Courier. He knew manners, etiquette, and how to act in royal court.

Shawn was now nine and wouldn't start any training yet. The only training he received was from school and their mother teaching him etiquette. Both Will and Shawn went to the school at the Redmont ward which Baron Arald had gladly let them attend. Will only had one more year.

At the moment, Will was practicing throwing his smaller knife. His dad had set up three targets at various distance and angles for him. It had only been three months since his birthday, but he was doing good. Halt was leaning against a tree a distance away, watching him.

_He's grown so much in the past two years..._, Halt thought to himself.

Will had grown more than four inches, and was almost to his dad's height. Halt smiled as he thought of how good his son was doing. Halt thought Will would make a great Ranger, but he still had time to decide.

Halt examined Will's technique to make sure he was doing it right then looked around for his other son. Shawn was very active and would stay at the ward after school to play with the boys his age. He was usually home by now.

"Dad!" Shawn yelled.

Halt smiled and looked in the direction of the voice to see Shawn running toward him. He reached Halt and hugged him. Halt returned it then looked at him.

"How was your day?" Halt asked.

Shawn smiled. "It was great. Well, school was okay, but I had a great time with Edgar and Jeremy."

Halt nodded. "That's good."

Halt noticed someone coming up behind Shawn, but didn't say anything. Shawn yelped as the person touched his shoulder. He turned around to see that it was Gilan.

Shawn's face lit up. "Gilan!" He tackled him and Gilan fell over, laughing. "It's good to see you too, Shawn."

Halt smiled at the two of them. Gilan had been apprenticed to Halt a few years back and had stayed in the cabin with the family. Gilan had grown close to Will and Shawn over his apprenticeship, but after five years, Gilan had graduated and was assigned to a fief of his own.

"It's good to see you, Gilan."Halt said as Gilan and Shawn got up.

"It's been a while, Halt," Gilan said, smiling.

Halt turned to Shawn. "Shawn, you need to go do your chores. You can play with Gilan afterwards."

Shawn nodded. "Okay, Dad." He ran to the cabin.

Halt then turned back to Gilan. "Did Crowley assign us both on a mission?"

Gilan shook his head. "Just me. I'm just passing through. I have to go to Castle Araulen."

Halt nodded. "Will you be staying for supper?"

Gilan nodded. "Crowley also gave me permission to stay the night."

Halt turned to look behind him as he heard another voice. "Gilan!"

It was Will who was running toward them. He had noticed Gilan was here and dropped his practice to come see him. Gilan smiled.

"Hey, Will. Wow, you've grown, "He said once Will got closer.

Will grinned. "I'm almost as tall as Dad."

"I can see that. Maybe you'll even get taller than him."

Will's grin got wider. "Do you think I'll get as tall as you?"

Gilan shrugged. "Who knows? I see you've been practicing with a throwing knife. How's it coming?"

Will looked back at the targets. "It's been okay. I've been doing it for three months now."

Halt put an arm around his son's shoulders. "He's been doing good. Will, why don't you help your mom in the kitchen? You can talk to Gilan later."

"Okay." He turned and walked to their home.

"Does he want to be a Ranger?" Gilan asked, watching Will.

Halt nodded. "Yes, but he could still change his mind. He's got three years."

Gilan looked at him. "If he wants to be a Ranger, maybe Crowley would let him be apprenticed under you earlier."

Halt frowned. He would love Will to be a Ranger, but it would be better if he was fifteen when he started. "I would love to have Will as my apprentice, but it's better to wait till he's fifteen."

Gilan nodded. "Maybe you're right."

Gilan's stomach grumbled.

Halt's eyebrow raised. "Maybe it's time for us to go in. Supper should be ready by now."

Gilan rubbed his stomach. "I didn't have much for lunch."

They started headed to the cabin. Halt looked up at the sky as they walked. Even when Will turned fifteen, it wouldn't be a guarantee that he would be apprenticed to Halt. Will was his son, and he could understand why Crowley would assign him to someone else. He could only hope when he talked to Crowley about it, but Will could still change his mind. Halt shrugged and decided not to worry about it till the time came as he and Gilan walked inside.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, guys. I know you've been enjoying my daily updates, but I may not be able to during the weekend. I don't have an internet connection at home, and I've been using the college internet during the week. I'll make it up by posting two chapters or more Monday. Enjoy the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.

A year had passed since Gilan had gone to Castle Araulen, and Will was now thirteen. Shawn was now ten, and Halt had given him a bow for his tenth birthday. Shawn was excited, and immediately went to practice with Will going to instruct him. Halt was proud of Will, and smiled as he watched the two boys. Will was demonstrating how to hold and shoot the bow correctly with Shawn copying.

Halt sighed as his thoughts shifted to when Will turned fifteen. He still wanted to be a Ranger, but he still had two more years to decide. Shawn also wanted to be a Ranger, but he had five years to change his mind. Halt went back to watching the boys, and saw an arrow hit near the edge of the target. It was Shawn who had shot it, and was frowning. Will quickly reassured him that he would get better with practice, and Shawn selected another arrow to shoot.

Halt decided to go inside to spend time with Pauline. As he walked into the cabin, a group of men silently watched him and one of them smirked. "He's not suspecting anything. We can easily grab one of the boys, "The man said.

Another one of them nodded and spoke, "Why not grab both of them?"

The man's smirk turned into a frown. "We were instructed to only grab one. Besides, we need one to alert the Ranger."

The man nodded, and they fell back into silence. They were waited for a while, watching the boys. Shawn was getting better with his aim, and was excited. Will was quietly watching, and complimenting him when he did good. The man who had first spoken earlier nodded, and motioned for his men to start moving.

The men ran out and one of them shot a bolt from his crossbow, alerting the two boys to their presence. Both of them looked at the source of the bolt and froze. After a few seconds, Will quickly pushed Shawn behind him then drew his knives. He quickly targeted one of the coming men, and threw the smaller knife. The knife flew through the air spinning, and hit the leader in the shoulder. He cursed, and pulled the knife out of his shoulder. He threw it at the ground, and walked to the men grabbing Will.

Will had managed to cut two of them. One of them had a cut on his arm, and the other had a cut on his stomach. Will struggled to get loose, but the men held him tightly. The leader leaned down to look in Will's eyes. "You're going to wish you hadn't done that, boy."

Will looked at the man, defiantly. The leader stood up. "Hurry up and get to the horses. You know what to do."

The men obeyed, running into the trees with Will. Shawn stood frozen, watching them take his brother. He wanted to yell. He wanted to say something, but he was too scared. The leader looked at him and smirked then ran off, following his men. When he got there, they were already gone. He nodded with approval, and quickly mounted his horse. He directed the horse then slapped the reins, making the horse take off at a gallop.

Shawn stood there frozen for a few minutes, taking in that strange men had taken his brother. He snapped out of it and ran to the cabin, throwing the door open.

"Shawn Henry O'Carrick! How many times-!"Pauline started to yell, but Shawn interruped her, "Strange men took Will! They came out of the forest and took him!"

Halt got to his feet. "What?!"

Pauline gasped.

Halt walked over to his son and knelt infront of him, putting his hands on Shawn's shoulders. "What did the men look like, Shawn? Did you notice anything?"

Shawn shook with fear. "T-t-they had purple clothes and hats on. O-one of them shot a crossbolt at us."

Halt hugged his son then got up to look at Pauline. "Genovesans."

Pauline went over to Shawn, and hugged him to her. "Why would they kidnap Will?"

Halt sighed. "He's the son of a famous Ranger. It was probably a past enemy."

Halt went to the hooks by the door, and grabbed his quiver. He put it on then his cloak.

Pauline watched him, still holding Shawn. "Where are you going?"

Halt looked back at her, grabbing his longbow. "I'm going to Castle Araulen to tell Crowley what happened then I'm going to go after Will. Hopefully, Gilan can come with me."

Pauline let go of Shawn, and walked over to Halt. "Please be careful."

Halt smiled. "I'll bring him back." He kissed Pauline then walked over to his son, kneeling down infront of him again. "Be good and do what your mother says, okay?"

Shawn hugged his father with tears in his eyes. "I will, Dad."

Halt hugged him back. "Good."

He got up and went out the door. He went right to the lean-to stable, and saddled Abelard then mounted. He slapped the reins and Abelard took off at a gallop. Pauline and Shawn stood on the porch, watching Halt ride off into the distance. Once he had disappeared, Shawn looked up at his mother.

"Mom, will Dad bring Will back?"

Pauline hugged him. "Yes. He will, Shawn."


	5. Chapter 5

Will's wrists were tied infront of him and the rest of the rope was tied to the horse's saddle. He was in the middle of the group of men who had took him. He looked around. He couldn't tell where he was, but he knew they were going east. He decided to see if they would tell him anything.

"Where are we going?" He asked one of the men near him.

The man turned to look at him. "To the sea."

Will smelled the air and smelled the ocean breeze. They must be taking be taking him across the sea. Will sighed. Would Dad be able to find him?

Halt had arrived at Castle Araulen and was in Crowley's office, telling him what happened. Crowley stayed quiet until he was done.

"You think someone hired them to take him?"Crowley asked.

Halt nodded. "Yes. I think a past enemy did, but I need to go after him now before the trail goes cold."

Crowley got up. "I understand, Halt. You can go after him immediately. Gilan can go with you."

"Thanks, Crowley Please take care of my wife and Shawn."

Crowley nodded. "I will. Gilan is outside with your horses, waiting for you."

Halt turned and ran to the door, opening it. He ran out of the room and didn't stop till he reached Gilan. "Are you ready to go?"

Gilan nodded. "Let's go get, Will."

They quickly mounted their horses and headed back to Redmont so they could track the Genovesans.


	6. Chapter 6

Halt and Gilan had traced the trail to the east side of Araluen. The Genovesans were good at covering their trail but not good enough to hide it from Rangers.  
Gilan looked at Halt. "Where do you think they're taking him?"  
Halt sighed. "I don't know. They could be planning to take him across the sea."  
Gilan frowned. "We'll find him, Halt."  
The rest of the ride was in silence as they tracked the trail. It led them all to the way to a town on the east coast.  
Gilan looked around. "Do you think they're staying in one of the inns or that they found a ship to board?"  
Halt thought for a moment then answered, "It was probably daytime by the time they got here, so they would of been able to board a ship. Let's ask around to see if anyone knows anything. We'll meet back here in an hour."  
They split up and went to different inns, trying to find any information. An hour later, they met back up.  
"Did you find out anything?" Halt asked, "The only thing I found out was that they took a merchant's ship."  
Gilan nodded. "I found out that they're headed to Toscana."  
Halt frowned. "Why would they be headed there?"  
Gilan shrugged. "The earliest ship headed there leaves in the early morning. We might as well find an inn, and get a room till then."  
They directed their horses to the nearest inn, and stayed the night. The next morning, they boarded a small ship called The Phoenix.  
Halt was near the railing of the ship because of his seasickness. Gilan left him alone during the first two days. Once he got over it, Gilan joined him. "Can you think of anyone who would of paid the Genovesans to take him?"  
Halt shook his head. "It could be anyone."  
Gilan looked over the sea. "We'll split up and ask around for information once we reach port?"  
Halt nodded. "We'll reach port in three days."

The Genovesans and Will had reached Toscana a day before Halt and Gilan would. They mounted their horses, and rode out of town. Will looked around, examining the countryside. Two of the men started talking. Will noticed and started listening in.  
"We'll reach the hideout soon."  
"What are we going to do with the boy?"  
"We were paid to hold him prisoner until he sends word for him."  
"Alright."  
Will frowned, wondering who had wanted him taken. Could it be an old enemy of Dad's? He didn't know. Maybe he could find out later on. They reached the hideout a few hours later, and Will was led to a thick door with an opening. It had bars in it. One of the men leading untied his wrists and threw him in. The door was shut and locked behind him.  
Will rolled over and sat up, rubbing his wrists.  
"You must be the boy they were talking about."  
Will jumped a little in shock and turned to see a girl about his age with tan skin, dark brown hair with some blonde highlights, and blue eyes.  
"Going to stop gawking anytime soon?" She said.  
Will shut his mouth, and turned a little red out of embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I- Uh...My name's Will."  
The girl smiled. "My name's Becca."  
Will relaxed. "That's a nice name."  
The girl looked up at the window, letting light in. "Thanks."  
Will didn't say anything. She was a pretty girl. He wanted to say something, but he was nervous. Why was he nervous?  
He thought of something. "Why are you here?"  
Becca sighed. "I'd rather not talk about it."  
Will looked at his hands. "It's okay."  
They sat in silence until an opening at the bottom of the door was opened. A plate of food was slid in, and the opening was closed. Will looked at the food then at Becca. "Do you want to pick first?"  
Becca shook her head. "Go ahead. I don't care."  
Will stared at her at for a minute then took half of the food. He started eating a piece of bread.  
Becca took the other half, and started eating an apple.  
Will looked around the cell while eating. There was only one window with bars in it, and there was the door. Besides that, there was nothing else, but he knew Dad would find a way to save him. Will glanced over at Becca. Maybe he could save Becca, too.

Halt and Gilan reached port and split up again, going to different inns. They came back at a specified meeting place an hour later.  
Gilan sighed. "I couldn't find out anything, Halt."  
"I couldn't find out anything either. Maybe we can find out something tomorrow."  
A man passing by heard them and stopped. "Are you looking for someone?"  
Both of them looked at him. Halt answered, "We're looking for a group of men who had a boy with them. The men had purple clothes and hats on."  
The man thought for a moment then recognition came over his face. "I remember. I was just coming back from hunting when I saw a group like that. They were headed that way."  
The man pointed.  
Halt directed Abelard to the direction he pointed. "Thanks."  
The man nodded. "No problem." He stared walking.  
Gilan and Halt took off.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey, guys. These are the chapters I wrote over the weekend. Hope you enjoy them.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.

Crowley got off his horse and walked to the cabin. He had set out for Redmont after Halt left, and had just reached his and Pauline's cabin. Shawn opened the door and his face lit up.  
"Uncle Crowley!"  
Shawn tackled him to the ground, hugging him. Crowley laughed and hugged him back. "It's good to see you, Shawn."  
Pauline came to the door and smiled. "It's nice to see you, Crowley.  
Crowley nodded and got up after Shawn got up. "You and Shawn need to pack your things. You're coming to Castle Araulen with me. You need to be protected incase someone else tries to take you, Shawn, or both."  
Pauline nodded. "Shawn, go to you and Will's room and pack what you need."  
Shawn looked up at her. "Can I bring my bow and arrows?"  
Pauline nodded. "Yes. Go pack."  
Shawn ran off into the cabin. Pauline looked at Crowley. "I'll go pack. It shouldn't take long."  
Crowley sat down on a rocking chair. "I'll wait out here."  
Pauline went back inside and packed. Once she and Shawn were ready, Pauline got her horse saddled while Shawn excitely showed Crowley his bow. Once Pauline was ready, shee and Crowley mounted their horses while Shawn mounted behind his mom. Crowley looked at them. "Do you have everything you need?"  
They both nodded. "Alright, let's get going."  
He and Pauline signaled their horses to start going, and they all headed for Castle Araulen.

Halt and Gilan had tracked the Genovesans and Will to a hideout several hours from the town. They made a circle front to back, examing the place. They were trying to any places they could get in. Once they reached the back, they went back to where they had left their horses.  
"Do have any idea how we're getting Will out?" Gilan asked.  
Halt stroked his beard. "It shouldn't be too hard. We'll strike tonight."

Once night came, Halt and Gilan walked their horses to the edge of the forest near the hideout. Halt looked at Gilan. "You go to the front and cause a distraction while I go in the back and get Will."  
Gilan nodded and pulled the hood of his cloak over his head. He disappeared into the shadows. Halt pulled his own hood over his head and blended into the shadows of the side of the building, heading to the back. Just as he reached it, he heard yells. Gilan was doing his job. The back was unguarded because of Gilan's distraction and he slipped in.

Will and Becca heard the yelling and looked at each other.  
"Do you know what it is?" She asked.  
He smiled. "I bet it's my Dad."  
Becca blinked. "Oh. That's right. They were saying you were the son of a Araulen Ranger."  
Will nodded. "He came to save me. You could with us."  
Becca's eyes widened. "Really? Would he take me back to Araulen with you?"  
Will nodded. "As long as he doesn't think you're a spy or anything."  
Suddenly, the door burst open and several men came in. Two of them each went to Will and Becca, tieing their hands. They were forced to stand and had to run to keep up with the men.  
Will tried to resist, but was pushed forward by a man behind him. He almost fell, but the man caught him. "Don't try it, kid."  
Will started running. "Where are we going?"  
The man looked at him. "Iberion where the man whose paying us is."  
Will blinked and looked at Becca. He was pushed again as he slowed down. He sped up and they rushed outside. Horses stood there waiting.  
Halt had founded the cell and mentally cursed. He ran outside and came out just as the men took off with Will and a girl. "Will!"  
Will looked back. "Dad!"  
Halt quickly got lifted his longbow and shot two of the riders. They slumped over and fell off. They had been the ones urging Becca's horses and guiding it, so the horse stopped. One of the men hestitated to get her, but the leader looked back. "Forget her!"  
Halt took the opporunity and shot him. He ran to retrieve Abelard when they were too far, and took off after them. Gilan had been waiting on Blaze, and he followed. Once they passed the girl, Halt looked to Gilan. "Stay with the girl. I'll chase after them!"  
Gilan nodded and reeled in Blaze. Halt lightly tapped Abelard's sides, and the horse responded instantly by speeding him. The Genovesans had a headstart, but he was quickly gaining. He noticed that they were headed to the town. He kept gaining as they reached the town and raced through. Halt frowned. He knew they were headed to the docks.  
As they boarded a ship, Halt urged Abelard faster and the horse ran down the dock. The ship was started to leave and he urged Abeleard to jump. Abelard obeyed and they landed on the deck of the ship. Halt quickly shot the coming men, and slid off. He landed on his feet and shot the man near Will. Will quickly ran over to him. "Dad!"  
Halt quickly pushed Will behind him. "Stay with Abelard."  
Will obeyed while he ran checking the ship for any Genovesans. Once he was satisfied, he went to Will and untied his wrists. Will hugged him tightly. "I knew you would save me."  
Halt hugged back then let go, holding Will lightly by the arms. "Are you hurt?"  
Will shook his head. "I'm fine. My wrists are raw. That's all."  
Halt hugged him and Will returned it. After a while, Halt let him go and stood up. He looked around till he spotted the captain. "Turn this ship around."  
The captain turned around and gave orders to his men. They got the ship turned around. Halt sat down next to Will, putting an arm around him. He looked down at Will. Had he been scared at all? Will must of believed the whole time that he would save him, and that had been enough. Will looked up at him. "Dad. Are you going to bring Becca back with us?"  
Halt raised an eyebrow. "The girl?"  
Will nodded. "I don't know if she has anywhere to go, but if she doesn't, can she come with us back to Araulen?"  
Halt looked at the sea. "It depends."  
It was silent for a minute then Will spoke up, "Are we going back to Araulen now?"  
Halt nodded.  
"But when the men came to get us and we were running, a man said something about we were going to Iberion. He said where the man whose paying them is."  
Halt thought to himself for a moment. He wanted to make sure Will got home safely, but he needed to investigate. Will would be with him and Gilan. They would keep him safe. "We'll head to Iberion once we get back to land and find that girl and Gilan."  
"Her name's Becca."  
Once they reached shore, Halt led Abelard off with Will following. Gilan and Becca were waiting for them. Gilan rushed over to Will. "Are you alright?"  
Will nodded. "I'm fine, but my wrists are raw."  
Gilan took his hands and looked at his wrists. "All you need is some salve."  
Gilan went to Blaze to get salve and went back to Will to run it on his wrists. While he did this, Halt looked at Becca. "Your name's Becca?"  
She nodded.  
"Do you have anywhere to do? Any family to go to?"  
Beca shook her head. "The Genovesans took me from the town we're in. I'm an orphan."  
Halt put a hand on her shoulder. "You can come with us to Araualen. But, I'm not taking you back with us until I'm sure you can be trusted."  
Becca nodded. "I understand."  
"Is there anything you know about what's in Iberion and who was paying the Genovesans?'  
Becca nodded. "They mentioned the name Morgarath and that he was in Iberion."

What do you guys think of Becca and Uncle Crowley? Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

I know this is posted late, but it's up! If you guys have any thoughts or suggestions, you can leave a review or pm me. I would love to hear what you think of Becca. Do you like the direction the story's going?

andreaanimals: He has met Alyss because in chapter three, it was stated that he went to the Redmont ward school. It's okay if you didn't make the connection. Alyss will come in later chapters when he's fifteen.

aRangersHorseLovesApples: Thank you for all the reviews! It inspires me to write more.

Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.

They were on a ship headed to Iberion. Halt was seasick as usual and was at the ship's railing. Will and Gilan left him alone, and Gilan was currently teaching Will some first aid. Becca was nearby watching and listening to the lesson.

"You have to clean the wound before you bandage so it doesn't get infected. You also have to change the bandage to if it gets too dirty." Gilan explained, "You can use clothing as a bandage, but when wrapping the the wound, keep it tight, but not too tight. It'll cut off circulation."

Will watched as Gilan demonstrated by tieing a piece of cloth around his arm to show how tight he should do it. Halt came over once he finally got over his seasickness. "You're the same age as Will?"

Becca nodded.

Halt watched Gilan and Will for a moment. He noticed that his son had feelings for the girl. She probably noticed. His thoughts went to when Will would turn fifteen. In his heart, he wanted Will to follow in his footsteps. Will already had a head start. He had 3 years of experience with shooting a recurve bow. He had a few months experience with throwing a knive. He also had other experience with various other things. The only things he would need to learn were unseen movement, knive fighting, hand to hand, and other Ranger things. His thoughts were interrupted when Becca said something.

Halt looked at Becca. "Sorry. What did you say?"

"What do Rangers do?" She repeated.

"We're lawkeepers. We're good at not being seen, and we gather information. We also go on missions."

Becca looked back at Gilan and Will. "That's cool."

Halt looked at her for a few seconds then went back to watching the two. A few hours later, they reached Iberion and got off the ship. Halt looked around then walked over to a merchant. He started talking in another language rapidly.

Will blinked. "What language is Dad speaking?"

"He's speaking Iberian," Gilan responded, "He's trying to find out information."

Halt soon stopped talking and headed back over to them. "He said that the king is gathering forces to invade somewhere, but that's all he knows. Morgarath is most likely at the capital of Alemeda. That's to the north of here and it's about a three days ride. Let's get going."

Halt and Gilan mounted their horses while Will mounted behind his dad and Becca behind Gilan. They started heading to the outskirts of town. Will looked at his dad. "Dad, where did you learn to speak Iberian?"

Halt kept looking forward. "I learned it from your mom. She was sent here several times."

"Do you think you could teach me?"

Halt smiled. "Of course."

They kept riding until Halt made a motion to stop. He turned to face Gilan and Becca. "I think it would be a good idea for Will and Becca to wear Ranger cloaks to help protect them. I have two extras."

He got down to look in his pack then pulled out two. He handed one to Will and one to Becca. They put them on. Will was smiling widely. "This is awesome! I look like a Ranger! Too bad that I don't have my bow and arrows."

Halt smiled and pulled a bow and a quiver of arrows out of his pack. "Here, son."

Will's smile got bigger. "You brought my bow!"

He quickly put on the quiver and strung his bow. Halt and Gilan were smiling as they watched. Halt quickly mounted again. "Let's go. We need to get as far as we can before nightfall."

They resumed riding. Becca was interested in the cloak and was examining the pattern on it while they rode. Gilan looked back at her to see why she was moving and noticed. "Do you like it?"

Becca jumped a little, startled. "It's an unusual cloak."

He smiled. "It helps us to blend into our surroundings. It's one of the reasons why Rangers are good at unseen movement."

Becca looked at the cloak thoughtfully. Gilan watched her. After a little bit, he got curious. "Where are you from?"

Becca looked up. "I'm from Iberion."

"Do you recognize any of this?" He asked.

She looked around. "Yes."

"You don't want to stay here?"

She sighed. "Not really. I have nowhere to go. The only kind of job I could get might be helping in an inn or maybe work in a castle, but it might be hard to find one."

Gilan glanced at Halt then back at her. "Would you like to go to Araluen?"

Her eyes lit up. "Yes."

He smiled. "I'll talk to Halt about it."

"Thank you, sir."  
Gilan laughed. "You don't have to call me sir. Just call me Gilan."

Becca smiled. "Thank you, Gilan."

Once the sun started setting, they found a clearing a few feet away from the main road. Will loosened the girth strps on the horses so they could relax while Gilan and Halt pitched the tents. The tents were big enough for two people each. Halt looked at Gilan. "You and I can share a tent while Will and Becca share the other one."

Gilan nodded. "That sounds good.

He looked around to see where they had gotten to. He first saw Becca a little ways into the forest. She was moving from cover to cover quietly, sneaking up on a rabbit. She had Will's recurve bow in hand and an arrow. Will had let her borrow them. Gilan got Halt's attention and pointed to Becca. "Look."

They both watched as she got closer then quickly stepped out from behind a tree and shot the rabbit. She killed it with one hit. Gilan looked at Halt. "She would make a good Ranger."

Halt looked back at him. "I agree, but there's never been a girl in the Corps before."

Gilan looked back at her. "So? That can change."

Halt watched as Will walked over to help her with the rabbit. "It would be hard for her."

Gilan watched them, too. "I know. I'll talk to her about it."

"She's still two more years, Gilan. She's the same age as Will."

"I can teach her some basic stuff during that time."

Halt turned to face him. "We're not even sure we can trust her yet. Don't talk to her about it till we know we can."

Gilan nodded. "I know."

Will ran over with Becca following. "Dad! Gilan! Look at what Becca shot! You should of seen her!"

Halt looked at the rabbit. "Nice catch."

Gilan nodded. "It is. Will, will you go gather some firewood? We need to eat soon."

"Alright." He turned and walked to the edge of the clearing. Gilan took the rabbit from Becca. "I'll get it ready for supper. Why don't you go help Will?"

She nodded and walked to Will.

Gilan sat down and started skinning the rabbit. _She would make a good Ranger..._, he thought to himself.


	9. Chapter 9

Here's the next chapter.

Guest: You'll see.

Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.

The next morning, Halt and Gilan got up right after the sun rose. They let Will and Becca sleep in because of what they had gone through. Halt had started a fire, and Gilan was making breakfast. Halt watched Gilan, waiting for the coffee to heat up.

"I think I know why Morgarath is here." Halt said to his former apprentice.

Gilan nodded and started talking without looking up, "He probably made an agreement with the Iberian king to take over Araleun. You said yesterday that that merchant said the king was gathering forces. He must have found a way out of the Mountains of Rain and Night."

Halt nodded. "Once we get to Alemeda, let's make sure that it really is Morgarath and find out what he's planning. Once we do, we'll head back to Araleun.

Gilan looked up. "You don't want to try to take him out?"

Halt shook his head. "Someone might just take his place. It's best if we just find out information then get out. We Will and Becca with us. We don"t need to risk them getting hurt."

Gilan smiled. "Getting fond of Becca?"

Halt looked up at the sun. "She's only thirteen. It wouldn't be right to just leave her somewhere."

A few hours later, Will got up with Becca following. Will looked over at his dad. "Why didn't you wake us up earlier?"

Halt looked at him. "You two needed the sleep after that ordeal. Eat some breakfast and we'll pack up the campsite."

Gilan and Halt started taking down the tents. Will sat near the fire and picked up a plate. He started as Becca did the same. As he ate, he looked over at her. The sun reflected off the blonde highlights in her, making them stand out. He stared at her, admiring her.

After a moment, Becca looked over at him and noticed him, staring. "Uh...Will. Will, are you okay?"

He snapped out of it and his face turned a light red. "Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

He quickly looked down at his food and resumed eating.

Gilan watched Will and chuckled. "Is this his first crush?"

Halt had seen it, too. "Yes. I hope it doesn't end badly."

Gilan put his tent in his pack and started getting Blaze ready. "I can watch over him and give him advice."

Halt started doing the same with Abelard. "It might be better if you just wait for him to come to you. He'll more likely come to you since you're younger."

Gilan nodded and tightened the girth strap on Blaze. He looked at Halt. "I'm ready to go. We just need to pack up the plates and utensils."  
Will and Becca came over with them soon and handed them to Halt and Gilan. They put them up and mounted their horses. Will and Becca mounted after them. Halt and Gilan directed their horses then set them to a steady pace.

As they rode, Will looked at his recurve bow. He imagined himself as a Ranger working with Gilan and his dad, fighting criminals and protecting Araluen. Halt brought him out of his daydream.

"Will."

"Yes, Dad?" He said, looking up.

Halt was looking back at him. "When we get to Alemeda, you and Becca are to stay with me. Understand?"

Will nodded. "I understand."

Halt relaxed and smiled. "Do you want to learn some Iberian now?"

Will's eyes lit up. "Yes!"

Halt faced forward again and started teaching Will basic Iberian. Gilan looked at Will and smiled then faced forward. He started thinking about Becca. He liked the girl and hoped she could be trusted. Maybe she could be his apprentice.

Crowley was sitting in his office doing paperwork when Shawn came running in. "Uncle Crowley!"

Pauline came in running after him. "Shawn!"

Crowley stopped, looking up.

Pauline lightly grabbed Shawn's arm. "Shawn, your uncle is busy. I told you to stay with Lily."

Shawn frowned. "But, it's boring in the Courier office. Can't I stay in here with Uncle Crowley?"

Pauline looked at Crowley. "I apologize. He snuck away from one of the assistants. Do you mind if he stays with you?"

Crowley chuckled. "It's fine. He can help me with some of my work."

Shawn's eyes lit up. "Is it Ranger work?"

Crowley nodded. "It's important Ranger work."

Pauline let go of Shawn. "Thank you, Crowley."

Crowley nodded and Pauline left the room, closing the door.

Crowley looked at Shawn. "Are you fast?"

Shawn nodded vigorously. "I'm the fastest runner in my class in Redmont!"

Crowley smiled, holding out a sealed letter. "Great. Can you take this message to Tevin in the Records section?"

Shawn took it. "Yes. I'll be back in ten minutes!"

He opened the door, and took off out the door. Crowley got up and closed it, chuckling.

"He is one active kid."


	10. Chapter 10

Here's chapter 10.

aRangerHorseLovesApples: I did think about her betraying them, but you'll see what happens.

Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer:I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.

Halt, Gilan, Will, and Becca rode throughout the day to Alemeda, and camped in a clearing by the road once the sun started sinking. The next morning, they ate breakfast, packed up, and headed out again. Will was learning Iberian fast and could probably hold a simple conversation with an Iberian native. He practiced by talking to Becca, and Halt corrected hm when he made a mistake. Each time he made a mistake, he didn't get down or depressed he kept trying. Gilan listened to them only a little at first then started thinking about other things. A few hours later, Halt was the one to notice they had almost reached the capital city.

"There's Alemeda." He said.

Gilan was brought out of his thoughts, and looked up at the city as they paused. The city was built on a hill and surrounded with stone walls. There was a tower situated every several hundred feet with guards in them and probably archers. They started riding towards it and went though the open gates. Will looked around wildly, excited. He had never been to another country. He had never left Araluen before he got taken. Gilan smiled at Will then looked around himself. He had never been to Iberion. They were on a main street that probably led to a town square. Merchants lined the streets, trying to sell their wares. There were merchants trying to sell foods he hadn't seen before, merchants trying to sell weapons, and merhcnats trying to sell all kinds of things.

He looked at the buildings that also lined the streets. Most of them were built of varied colored stones with wooden roofs. They were shops who also sold things and probably an inn or two. He looked at Will to see him entranced by a man juggling flaming torches. They kept going till they reached a large building which had a picture of food and a bed on it. They unmounted and Gilan and Halt went to put their horses up in the stable. Will and Becca followed because Halt wanted them all to stick together.

Becca looked at Will. "What do you think of Alemeda?"

Will grinned. "I've never seen anything like it. I've never been out of Araluen before I was taken. Dad would bring me and Shawn gifts when he traveled, but this is awesome."

Becca blinked. "Shawn is your brother?"

He nodded. "Yeah. My little brother. He's ten years old."

"Oh. He's in Araluen?" She said.

"Yeah." Will said then looked around. Becca watched him. After a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something and was about to till he was interrupted by Gilan.

"Let's go inside. The horses are comfortable."

Will sighed and turned away, following him. Becca blinked and shrugged, following them. Halt walked behind her. They went inside and got a room for three nights. They went upstairs to it and went in. Halt locked the door behind them.

"Gilan, you should go around looking for information about Morgarath. Do you think you could sneak into the castle?"

Gilan looked at him. "I'll try. Do you want me to come straight back here once I'm sure it's him?"

Halt nodded. "We'll stay the night whether you do or not. If you don't, you can try again tomorrow."

Gilan nodded and got up, going to the door. He smiled at Becca and Will. "Have fun."

He went out the door, closing it behind him. Will turned to Halt. "What are we going to do while he's gone, Dad?"

Halt thought for a moment. "Well, this is your first trip to Iberion. Why don't we go out and have some fun?"

Will nodded. "Yes!"

They headed out and walked around on the main street. Becca and Halt followed Will as he went along excited. He went from cart to cart, looking at what the merchants had. He stopped at one that had jewelry, and looked till he found a necklace that had a coin on it with something written in Iberian on it. He looked up at his dad.

"Dad, what does it say?"

Halt looked at it. "It says Fast Runner."

Will smiled. "Can I get it for Shawn?"

Halt nodded. "If you want."

Will started to pull out his money then frowned, realizing he didn't have any. "Uh, Dad. My money is in Araluen."

Halt took some money out and handed it to him. "Use this."

Will smiled and gave the money to the merchant, speaking in Iberian and pointing to the necklace. The merchant nodded and handed it to him. He put it in his pocket.

Halt looked up at the sun. "It's lunch time. Are you two hungry?"

"Yeah. Where can we eat?" Will said.  
Becca nodded. "I am."  
Halt led them to a restaurant and they ate some steak with gravy. They ate dessert then got up, leaving some money on the table. Halt looked around. "Let's head back to the inn."

Will frowned. "Awww."

Halt looked at his son then headed back to the inn. Once they were in their room, they all sat down. Becca sat in a corner and read a book Halt let her borrow. Will and his dad sat on one of the beds. Halt was teaching him more Iberian. As Will started to say one of the phrases, Gilan burst in and closed the door behind him quickly. He was breathing heavily and was sweating.

Halt jumped up. "What is it?!"

Gilan looked at him. "It is Morgarath. I snuck into the castle and found him in the eating hall. I followed him and he paused to talk to a nobleman. He's not only getting an alliance with Iberion. He also has an alliance with Picta, Toscano, and Aslava. He's going to go to Skandia next."

Halt started to pack up quickly. "Let's go. We need to tell King Duncan."

Gilan joined Halt in packing. Will packed his stuff and they quickly left the inn. Halt and Gilan quickly saddled the horses then led them out. All of them mounted up and rode out of the city, heading to the nearest port.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey, readers. I know it's been two or three days since I've updated, but here's chapter 11. I know it's a little short. I'll make it up with the next one being longer, but I may not be able to update tomorrow since I have a lot of school work to do. If I have time to write and post the chapter, I will. If I don't tomorrow, it will be Monday when I do it.

This is probably the farthest I've ever gotten with a story. I have ideas for it and would love to finish it. I've only gotten reviews from two or three people though they have reviewed more then once (Thank you for all the reviews!) , but I would love for others to review, too. If you have any suggestions to help or want to point something out, go ahead. I want to get better at writing. If there's something you don't like about the story, just tell me. I won't mind as long as it's said in a respectful manner. Now enough of my talking. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.

Once they reached a port, they boarded the next ship to Araluen. Halt was at the railing as usual, and Will and Becca were listening to Gilan tell a story.

"This thief is one of the smartest I had ever encountered. As I chased him through the castle, he knew every passage and room of it. It seems like we went throughout the whole castle then he went all the way out to the village, and I followed. I couldn't shoot any arrows because of all the people, so I decided to pretend I got hurt. I faked tripping and started yelling. The thief stopped and looked back. He started laughing and I quickly jumped up, ran to him, and grabbed his arm. He struggled, but I put his arm behind him, twisting it a little. He flinched and stopped struggling. I put thumb cuffs on him and led him to the castle dungeons where he was locked up to be put on trial later on, " Gilan said, ending the story.

Will's attention had been focused all on Gilan and after he finished, Will smiled. "That was awesome, Gilan! Was he sentenced?"

Gilan nodded. "He was sentenced to a year in the castle dungeons."

Becca had listened quietly the entire time and smiled after the story ended. "That was cool."

Gilan looked at Becca, thinking. He then looked over to Halt, but saw that Halt was still dealing with seasickness. It probably wouldn't end till tomorrow. What he wanted to talk about could wait till then. He looked back at Will and Becca. "Who wants to hear another story about when I went to a mission on Skandia?"

Will excitedly raised his hand. "Me!"

Becca nodded. "I would."

Gilan smiled and started the story. Halt looked over at them as he told it. It was one of the few moments when he didn't feel bad. His gaze went to Becca and he thought of the night of their first camp out in Toscano. The way she had used the shadows to hide herself wasn't suprising. Will could do it and he hadn't had any unseen movement training. What surprised him was that she was able to get so close to the rabbit without startling it. She must of had some training. Before he could think about it any further, he felt his stomach go topsy-turvy and he barfed over the railing. Halt sighed and leaned over the railing. He would be glad when this passed.

Crowley and Shawn were walking near the Battleschool on one of Crowley's weekly walks around the village infront of Castle Araluen. They had walked through most of it and they stopped to watch the trainees in the yard, practicing on wooden dummies with wooden swords. Shawn looked up at Crowley.

"Uncle Crowley, why are they using wooden swords?"

Crowley looked down at him. "They use them so they don't hurt themselves or anyone else."

Shawn nodded and went back to watching. He thought it would be cool to learn how to use a sword. He started imitating some of the moves the trainees were doing, using them on an imaginary dummy. Crowley looked down to see what he was doing and his eyes widened a little in surprise. It wasn't surprising that Shawn would imitate the trainees, but it was surprising that he was following in almost perfect detail. He looked at the trainees then back at Shawn to make sure. He put a hand on his chin and stroked it, thinking. _I need to talk to Halt about this..._


	12. Chapter 12

Hello, readers! Here's the next chapter. As promised, it's longer then the last one. I did revise the chapter, because Will and Becca are just thirteen and still have two more years. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.

They reached Araluen two days later and immediately mounted the horses, heading to Castle Araluen. Becca looked around excited as they rode and Will smiled at her reaction. Gilan looked back at her and smiled also. Halt noticed and a smile came to his face. As they neared the castle, Becca's face to one of amazement. "Wow...This is better than the castle in Iberion..."

They rode through the castle gates after Halt and Gilan showed the guards their silver oakleafs. They all unmounted, and Will and Becca waited while Halt and Gilan put up the horses. The group then headed straight to Crowley's office. As they came in, Crowley was doing paperwork. When he looked up to see who it was, his face brightened and he dropped what he was doing. Will ran to him and hugged him. Crowley hugged him back, smiling. As he let go, he examined Will. "You're alright?"

Will nodded. "I'm fine."

Crowley got up and turned to Halt and Gilan. "It's good to see you all here. How was the mission?"

Halt stepped forward. "We successfully saved Will and the girl here, " He said motioning to her, "Her name's Becca. It turns out that it was Morgarath who paid for the Genovesans to take Will. He was in Iberion, making allies with the king. He already has alliances with Picta, Toscano, and Aslava."

Crowley's face showed a little surprise. Halt continued, "We found out when we went to save Will. Becca told us that the Genovesans had mentioned the name Morgarath and that he was in Iberion. We went there to investigate and Gilan went to the castle. Once he found out, he came back to the inn, told us, and we left immediately."

Crowley nodded. "Alright. I need to go alert King Duncan immediately."

He started walking to the door and was about to touch the knob when Shawn opened the door. When he saw Will, he smiled and ran to him, hugging him. "Will!"

Will smiled, hugging him back. "Hey, Shawn."

Halt looked at Crowley. "Shawn's been helping you?"

Crowley nodded. "Yes. He didn't want to stay in the Couriers office."

As Halt nodded, Pauline came into the room. "Crowley, I-"

Her eyes widened as she saw them then she ran to Will, hugging him tightly. "Will! Are you okay, honey? Did they hurt you?"

Will hugged his mom back just as tight. "I'm okay. The only thing was my wrists were raw from the rope they had tied around them. Gilan put some salve on them."

Pauline kept hugging Will for a few seconds then got up, turning to Halt. She hugged him. Halt smiled and returned it, kissing her cheek. Shawn went to hug his dad after his mom let go. Pauline then hugged Gilan with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for helping to save Will."

Gilan hugged back. "I would always go to save him."

Becca looked around at the family and looked down at the floor. Pauline looked over at her and she walked over to her after letting Gilan go. She knelt down infront of her. "What's your name?"

Becca looked up. "Becca."

"Where are you from, Becca?" She asked.

"I'm from Iberion. Halt and Gilan saved me from the Genovesans, "Becca said quietly.

Pauline hugged her. Becca blinked and hugged back. Crowley looked over at Halt. "Does she have any family?"

Halt shook his head. "She told us that she's an orphan."

Becca sighed and looked at the floor. Pauline frowned. "Is something wrong, dear?"

Becca nodded. "I didn't tell Halt the whole truth."

Halt frowned. "You're not an orphan?"

Becca looked at him. "I am. I just didn't tell you everything. I wanted to come to Araluen. My father is from here."

Crowley walked over. "Who is your father?"

Becca's gaze went to Crowley. "His name was Samuel. He was a Ranger here."

Crowley's eyes widened. "I remember Samuel."

Halt looked at him. "How do you know him and I don't?"

Crowley looked at Halt. "He was one of the Rangers that were banished while Morgarath had influence over the king. I didn't know that he went to Iberion."

He looked at Becca again. "Did you know that he was banished?"

She shook her head. "I didn't. Did he do something bad?"

Crowley knelt beside her. "No. He did nothing wrong. More than thirteen years ago, Morgarath and a group of barons were falsely accusing Rangers of things, so they could replace them with others who weren't really trained to be Rangers. It was one of the things they did to get rid of people who would of opposed them."

Becca smiled sadly. "He never told me. Each time I asked, he would change the subject."

Crowley frowned. "Wait. You're talking about him as if he's dead. What happened?"

Her face fell. "He was killed by the Genovesans...He was out doing work when they were riding with a man named Morgarath leading. He worked with the town prison to gather information. I was with him. He recognized Morgarath and turned around, pushing me and telling me to run home. I didn't understand why and didn't go at first. One of the Genovesans spotted us, and alerted the others. Morgarath looked at us and his eyes widened as if he recognized us."

Tears started to come to her eyes. "He yelled at them and they started coming after us . M-my dad grabbed my arm, and started running, dragging me with him. I ran, but they quickly caught up. He tried to fight them, but there were too many. They ended up killing him, and they took me to Morgarath. Morgarath ordered them to keep me prisoner and some of them split off to take me to Toscano. I was there for months until Will came."

She broke down, sobbing. Pauline hugged her tightly, and Becca buried her head in Pauline's shoulder. Crowley got up and walked over to Halt and Gilan. "Samuel was one of my friends in the Ranger Corps before he was banished. He was a good man."

"It explains how she was able to get so close to that rabbit she killed. He must of trained her," Halt said.

Gilan nodded. "Where is she going to stay?"

Crowley glanced at her. "She could stay with me, but I'm busy most of the time."

Gilan looked at her. "She could stay with me."

Crowley looked at Gilan surprised. Gilan looked back at the commandant. "She would make a good Ranger. I would like to have her as an apprentice."

Crowley thought about it. "How old is she?"

Halt spoke up, "Thirteen like Will."

Crowley looked at her again. "She can't be apprenticed till she's fifteen, but if she wants to, she can stay with you."

Gilan smiled and walked over to Becca. She still had tears in her eyes, but she had calmed down. He knelt beside her. "Becca."

She looked at him. "Would you like to live with me? You'll have your own room."

A surpised look came on her face, but then she hugged him tightly. "Yes! Thank you, Gilan."

He smiled wider and hugged her back. Crowley, Pauline, and Halt smiled. Will smiled also. Shawn was happy for her, too.

Becca let go and wiped away her tears. Crowley remembered what he needed to. "I better go to King Duncan. I'll see you all later."

He quickly left. Will put a hand on his brother's shoulder and Shawn looked up at him. Will smiled at him then looked at Becca. "Becca, this is my brother, Shawn."

Becca smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Shawn. I'm Becca."

Shawn held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, too."

She shook his hand then looked up as Will walked over to the woman who had hugged her. "This is my mom."

Becca walked over and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

Pauline smiled. "You can call me Pauline."

Halt put an arm around his wife's waist. "Whose hungry?"

Shawn jumped up and down. "I am!"

"I am!" Will yelled.

"I am, "Becca said.

Gilan chuckled. Halt started heading for the door with Pauline. "Let's go eat in the village."

Shawn ran to catch up with his dad, but Gilan grabbed him and lifted him up. He set Shawn on his shoulders and Shawn put his hands up. "Whooo!"

Will and Becca followed after Gilan, talking excitedly. They all enjoyed the evening in an inn, talking and laughing. Shawn fell asleep, leaning against Gilan. Will and Becca were getting tired, so Halt paid the bill. The group got two separate rooms with Gilan and Becca in one and the O'Carrick family in another. They all slept soundly that night, happy that they were together and happy to have another member of the family.


	13. Chapter 13

Here's chapter 13. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.

Two years had passed since Will, Halt, Gilan, and Becca had come back from Iberion. Will and Becca were now fifteen and had grown. Will had done less training than when he was ten to thirteen because Halt decided he needed a break since he was only two years away from being apprenticed. But, he had insisted Will at least train once a week to keep his skills up. Will had gotten a recurve bow with a stronger draw weight when he was fourteen and practiced with it. He also had gotten better at knive throwing, and was almost good as a first year Ranger apprentice.

When Gilan and Becca had reached his home in Meric fief, he tested her skills a few days later, and had found that she had good aim and speed with a recurve bow with the same draw weight as Will's. She also knew basic unseen movement but that was it. Gilan gave her a saxe knife and a throwing knife for her fourteenth birthday, and showed her how to throw the smaller one. She practiced at least once a week like Will, and was almost was good as he was with knive throwing.

Shawn was now twelve and was good with his bow. Halt had taught him the same things as Will, and he knew all the things Will did at twelve. Crowley had talked to Halt about what had happened infront of the Batteschool yard, and Shawn was now being trained to use a sword. He enjoyed doing it and was good at it.

After Crowley informed King Duncan of Morgarath and his alliances, King Duncan started getting alliances and preparing Araluen for war. Crowley had Rangers gong on missions to gather as much information as they could, and it seemed that Morgarath had a secret weapon that he and his Wargals were getting ready. Halt and Gilan had gone on missions, and Becca stayed with the O'Carrick family when Gilan had to go.

Will and Becca were close friends, and he still had feelings for her. He hadn't told her about them though. He was too nervous. Right now they were hanging out behind the cabin, enjoying the day. Horace was with them also, having fun. Will and Horace had been friends since they were small. When they first met in the Redmont ward school, Horace had picked on Will, but it was quickly resolved when Will came home crying. Shawn was in the village, hanging out with some of his friends. Halt and Gilan were standing at the edge of the forest, watching Will, Becca, and Horace.

Halt watched them for a little bit then spoke, "They're going to be apprenticed soon."

Gilan nodded. "Does Will still want to be a Ranger?"

Halt nodded. "What about Becca?"

"She wants to be a Ranger, too, "He answered.

Halt turned to Gilan. "Have you sent a letter to Crowley?"

Gilan shook his head. "No. You?"

"No, "He said, "We could send him a letter together. He could come here next weekend when you and Becca come to visit."

Gilan nodded. "That's a good idea."

They went inside to go write the letter. Becca was proving to Horace that she could pin him to the ground while Will watched. Horace tried to get her off and finally succeeded after a minute or two. He got up, brushing himself off. Will chuckled. "I told you she could."

Horace grinned. "You were right."

Becca got up and brushed herself off then moved a piece of hair out of her face. She kept it braided most of the time, because she liked going into the forest and hanging out with the two boys. She smiled. "You'll learn not to underestimate me."

Horace nodded then changed the subject. "We're going to be apprenticed soon. What do you guys want to be? I want to be a knight."

Will smiled. "I want to be a Ranger like my dad."

"I want to be a Ranger, too, " She said.

Shawn appeared, running toward them. "Hey, guys!"

Will waved to his brother as Becca and Horace turned around. They both waved and waited till Shawn reached them. Horace smiled and mussed up his hair. "What have you been up to?"

Shawn grinned. "I was hanging out with Edgar and Jeremy."

Will walked up to him. "Shawn, Dad told me to tell you that you needed to do your chores as soon you got here."

Shawn sighed.. "Okay. I'll talk to you guys later."

He ran off to the cabin as Halt and Gilan were coming out. Shawn stopped infront of them. "Hey, Dad! Hey, Gilan!"

Gilan smiled. "Hey, Shawn."

He knelt down and Shawn hugged him. Shawn let go of him. "Gilan, are you staying for dinner?"

Gilan stood up. "No. Sorry, buddy. I have to leave now."

Shawn frowned.

Gilan put a hand on his shoulder. "I promise we'll do something the next time I visit."

A smile came on Shawn's face. "Okay. Bye, Gilan."

He hugged Gilan then went into the cabin.

Gilan looked at Halt. "How is he doing with the sword?"

Halt looked back at him. "He's doing good so far. Maybe you can give him a few pointers next time you're here?"

Gilan nodded. "I better go. Becca and I need to get back."

He stopped off the front porch. "Becca! It's time to go!" He yelled.

Will, Becca, and Horace looked in the direction of the yelling. Becca sighed. "I'll see you guys next weekend."

She ran off toward the cabin. Horace and Will watched her then Horace turned to Will. "I need to get going, too. I have to get back to the ward before it gets dark. I'll see you tommorow."

He turned and started walking to the village. Will walked to the stable where Gilan and Becca were mounted on Blaze and Halt was standing beside the horse. Will stopped beside his dad. Gilan looked down at them. "We'll see you guys next weekend."

Halt put a hand on Will's shoulder. "Be careful on the way home."

Gilan nodded. "We will."

Gilan touched Blaze's sides with his feet and Blaze started walking. Becca waved to them. "See you guys later!"

Gilan touched Blaze's sides again and she sped up. Halt and Will waved back. Blaze sped up more, and Will and Halt kept waving till they were out of sight. Halt looked down at Will. "Your mom probably has supper ready. Let's go inside."

They both turned and went inside.


	14. Chapter 14

Here's ch 14. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.

Two days later, Halt received a letter from Crowley while Shawn was at school and Will was training. He opened it and started reading. A smile came on his face as he read through it. Will came onto the front porch. "Dad, I'm done training."

Halt put the letter down. "Will, come sit down please."

Will sat in the chair beside him. "What is it?"

Halt turned in the chair to look at him. "I know you want to be a Ranger. Crowley is coming here this weekend to apprentice you to a Ranger, but are you sure you want to be one? It can be a dangerous life."

Will's yes were lit up. He nodded. "I know, Dad."

Halt smiled. "He's going to apprentice Becca to a Ranger, too."

Will smiled also. "That's awesome!"

Halt got up. "I'm going to write a letter to Gilan. Will you take it to the Postal Office once I"m done?"

Will got up. "Yes, sir."

Halt turned and walked to the door. "It won't take long."

He went inside and Will sat down to wait. A little bit later, Halt came outside, carrying an envelope. He handed it to Will. "This is it."

Will jumped up and took it. "I'll be back soon."

He ran off down the road to the village. Halt smiled then went back inside.

Becca was cooking supper the next day when Gilan came in. Becca looked back then looked back at what she was doing. "How was the ride through the fief?

Gilan sat down at the table. "It was fine."

He looked at what had come in the mail and saw a letter from Halt. He opened it and started reading. A smile came on his face and he put it down after he finished. "Becca, can you take a break from cooking for a minute?"

She nodded. "The soup needs to simmer."

She put a lid on pot and walked to the table, sitting down. "Crowley is going to Halt's house this weekend when we'll be there. He's going to apprentice you and Will to Rangers."

Becca smiled widely, but it faded a little once Gilan spoke again. "Hold on. Are you sure you want to be one? It's a dangerous life and it's going to be even harder for you because you're a girl. You'll be the first one in the Ranger Corps."

She sighed. "I know it's going to be hard, but I want to be one. I'll show all those men and boys that a girl can be a Ranger."

Gilan looked at her serious. "But, besides that it's a dangerous life."

She nodded. "I know. I still want to be one."

He smiled and walked around the table to hug her. She hugged him back. Gilan let go and went back to his spot. "We'll leave early Saturday morning. Make sure you have everything ready the night before."

She walked back to the fire. "I will."

He went back to read the rest of the mail.


	15. Chapter 15

Hey, guys. Here's ch 15. It's a big chapter. Tell me what you think about it. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.

On Saturday morning when Gilan got up, Becca was already up and making breakfast. He sat down. "Excited?"

She looked back at him. "Yes."

She turned back to the pan and grabbed a plate. She put eggs, bacon, and a biscuit on it then made herself one. She put one of the plates infront of him then one at her spot. She made two cups of coffee and put honey in them. She went to the table and put one near his plate before sitting down. Both took a drink from their cups and started eating.

Once they were done, Becca took the plates and cups, and quickly washed them in a bin of soapy water then rinsed them in a bin of regular water. Gilan went outside to saddle Blaze while she did this. After he was dome, he went inside to put on his quiver then his cloak. Becca was standing there waiting with her pack and his. He grabbed his longbow and her recurve bow then looked at her. "Ready?"

She nodded and they headed outside. Gilan put the bows down and took the packs from her to tie to Blaze's saddle. She picked up the bows and handed Gilan his after he mounted. She mounted behind him and they went off after Gilan lightly touched Blaze's sides with his heels.

Will was already up before his parents and brother when they got up. He had breakfast made and the table set with food on the plates. He made two cups of coffee with honey and set them on the table. He smiled, seeing his family. "Good morning."

Halt sat down and took a sip of coffee. "Morning. Excited are we?"

Will nodded and sat down after getting milk for his mom and brother. "Very."

Pauline smiled then started eating. Shawn didn't say anything and ate his breakfast. Will finished his and got up to wash his plate and cup. Halt ate his breakfast, watching him.

Pauline paused. "I'm going to the ward today to see if any of the wards could be a Courier."

Will looked over at his mom. "The only one who wants to be a Courier is Alyss."

She nodded. "I know. I'm going to pick her."

Will smiled. "She'll be excited."

Halt finished eating and handed his plate and cup to Will. Will washed, rinsed, and dried them. Pauline finished and handed hers to Will. Shawn was also done. Will took the plate and cups, washing all of them. He then put all of them up and turned to Halt. "Dad, when is Uncle Crowley coming?"

Halt looked up at him from a report from he had started reading. "Probably not till afternoon."

Will walked over to him. "Is there any chores I can do?"

Halt looked up again. "You can chop some firewood and put it beside the house. Shawn has a sword lesson this morning."

Will nodded and went to do it. Shawn left, caring his sword. Gilan and Becca arrived just as Will got done. He walked over to them as Becca got down. He smiled. "You excited?"

She nodded. "I can't wait."

Gilan unmounted and slapped Will on the back. "Morning. Where's your dad?"

Will motioned to the cabin. "He's inside. I can take care of Blaze for you."

Gilan shook his head. "I'll go inside after she's comfortable."

He led Blaze to the stable. Will turned to Becca. "What do you want to do till Crowley gets here?"

She motioned to the targets stored in the stable. "Let's practice shooting and knife throwing."

He nodded and they went to get the targets set up. They put them at different distances and angles, and started out with shooting their bows. Will went first and most of his arrows hit the bullseye. He went to retrieve them then Becca went next. Most of her arrows hit the bullseye and as she went to collect them, Shawn showed up.

He waved at them. "Hey!"

They both waved. Shawn looked around then yelled, "Where's Gilan?"

Will pointed to the cabin and yelled back, "He's in there with Dad!"

Shawn nodded and ran to the cabin, going outside. A few minutes later, he and Gilan came out with their swords. They started practicing and Gilan gave Shawn some pointers from time to time. Sometimes he stopped to show Shawn something then they would go back to practicing. Will and Becca switched to knife throwing, and Becca was in the middle of her turn when Halt came out. "Lunch time!" he yelled.

Becca quickly went to retrieve her throwing knife and Will grabbed their bows. She sheathed it then ran to follow Will. Shawn and Gilan had been closer to the cabin, so they were already sitting down and eating. Will and Becca sat down with Halt following them. Pauline had gone to the castle earlier for the wards' Apprenticing Day.

Just as they finished eating, they heard a knock on the door. Halt got up to open the door. He smiled and waved the person in. "Come in. You're just in time to eat lunch."

Crowley stepped in. "Good. I'm starving."

Shawn jumped up and ran to Crowley. "Uncle Crowley!" He hugged him. Crowley hugged back then went to sit at the table. Will and Becca got up. "Hey, Uncle Crowley, " they chorused.

Crowley smiled. "Hey."

Will quickly got Crowley a plate of food while Becca fixed him a cup of coffee. They served him together and he took a drink. "Aw. That hits the spot."

He started eating and finished a few minutes later. Shawn took his plate and went to wash it while Becca refilled his cup. She fixed four cups after making his then set them on the table. Two of them were set infront of Halt and Gilan, and the other two at her spot and infront of Will. She sat down and Crowley looked around the group. "How's everyone doing?"

Halt spoke for all of them. "We're doing good."

Crowley took a drink of his coffee then set it down. "Will. Becca. You want to be Rangers, correct?'

They nodded. He looked between the two of them. "Gilan and Halt have told me your skills. You both have headstarts. Because of this, you won't to do the full five years an usual Ranger apprentice would. It should only take three."

Both Will and Becca got excited, but the only way you could tell was by their eyes. Crowley smiled. "You're going to be apprenticed to two different Rangers. I've decided that Will will be apprenticed to Gilan and that Becca will be apprenticed to Halt."

Halt and Gilan looked at each other then back at Crowley. Before they could say anything, Crowley spoke up. "I know you two wanted it the opposite, but I've given thought to this. Will is your son, Halt. Gilan was trained by you, and I'm sure he will train Will well. Becca will be the first girl Ranger apprentice and if she's assigned to Halt, it may help with the bullying she'll get in the Corps. Most of them won't do anything, but some of them will be skeptical. There will probably be a problem with the other apprentices though. Most of them are second years, but there's one fourth year. This way I think is best."

Halt and Gilan nodded. "I also expect that Will will have problems because he's Halt's son. This is also a good way, because I know Gilan won't treat him any other way than a normal apprentice, " Crowley added.

Will and Becca looked at each other then at Crowley. Crowley smiled. "I hope you two enjoy being Ranger apprentices. Now if you excuse me, I must be going. I'm very busy with the preparations for the upcoming war. It was nice to see all of you."

He drank the rest of his coffee then got up. "Thank you for the food and coffee. Halt, please tell Pauline I send my best. All of you have a good day."  
He quickly went out the door, got on his horse, and rode off. Shawn came back into the room and frowned. "Aw, Uncle Crowley left. I wanted to show him how good I've gotten with the sword."

Gilan got up and ruffled his hair, "I'm sure you can show him next time. Why don't you go outside and train with your bow?"

Shawn nodded. "Okay. He went to the door and grabbed his bow, going outside. Gilan went back to sit at the table. Halt looked at Will and Becca. "Why don't you two go have fun in the village? This will be your last day before you switch homes. Go enjoy it."

They nodded and got up, going out the door. Halt turned to Gilan. "This was unexpected, but I like it."

Gilan nodded. "I like it, too. Should I go get Becca's stuff? That way me and Will can leave together.

Halt nodded. "That sounds good. I'll get Will's stuff together and get the room ready for Becca."

They got up and Halt headed to the boys' bedroom while Gilan retrieved his cloak, quiver, and longbow then went outside. He saddled Blaze and rode to his cabin. He gathered Becca's things then rode back to the cabin in Redmont fief. Halt was reading a report when he came in after putting Blaze in the stable. "Here's Becca's things. Should I put them on the bed?"

Halt nodded. "That's fine. Will's stuff is outside the door."

Gilan went into the room, setting the stuff on the bed. He came back out. "You hung the sheet so Becca will have privacy?"

Halt nodded. "Did you ride past them going to the village?"

Gilan sat down. "Yeah. They probably recognized me, but I'm sure they know why."

They enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, talking and drinking coffee. They talked about different things from when Gilan was Halt's apprentice and what they would teach Will and Becca first. After a while, Pauline came in. Halt got up to hug her then kissed her. She smiled. "How did it go?"

Gilan spoke up, "Becca is apprenticed to Halt, and Will is apprenticed to me."

Pauline blinked in surprise then thought about it for a moment. "That is a good way he did it though I will miss Will."

Halt smiled. "He and Gilan will visit from time to time."

Gilan nodded. "Just not as often since the Ranger Gathering is in two months."

Halt nodded. "We have to get Will and Becca ready."

Pauline nodded. "I'm glad he's with you, Gilan. I know you'll take care of him."

She went to the kitchen part of the cabin and started fixing supper. Will, Becca, and Shawn soon came in. Will and Becca were laughing while Shawn was scowling with his arms crossed. Halt and Gilan both raised an eyebrow. "What happened?" Halt asked.

Will and Becca stopped laughing for a moment. "Becca crept up behind Shawn and scared him. He jumped a foot into the air." Will chuckled.

Halt got up and walked over to Shawn. He put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Shawn. I'll teach something to do next time one of them scares you."

Shawn grinned. "Okay." He walked over to his mom to help her set the table.

Halt winked at Will and Becca, and they walked over to the table. Pauline and Shawn soon had plates with food and cups with coffee on the table. But, Pauline and Shawn had cups of water beside their plates. They all ate silently. When they were done, Will, Becca, and Shawn got up to wash the dishes and put them up. Once they were done, they walked over to the table. Gilan got up. "It's Will and I got on the road."

Shawn blinked. "Will is leaving?"

Gilan nodded. "He's been apprenticed to me."

Shawn pointed to Becca. "What about Becca?"

Halt answered him. "She's apprenticed to me. She'll be staying here."

Shawn went over and hugged Will tightly. "I'll miss you, Will."

Will hugged back. "I'll miss you, too."

Halt got up. "Will, your things are beside the bedroom door. Becca, your things are in the bedroom on the bed."  
Becca nodded. Will let go of Shawn and went to hug his mom. "I love you, Mom. I'll miss you."

Pauline returned it. "I love you, too."

Will then went to hug his dad. "I love you, Dad."

Halt hugged back. "I love you too, son."

Will let go and went to get his stuff as Becca hugged Gilan. "I'll miss you, Gilan."  
He smiled. "I'll miss you, too."

They separated and Gilan looked at Will. "Are you ready, Will?"

Will nodded and they headed outside. Halt, Pauline, Becca, and Shawn followed them, stopping on the front porch. Gilan saddled Blaze and tied Will's stuff to her. He mounted and Will got up behind him. Gilan touched Blaze's sides and he steered her to the side of the porch. Gilan looked down at them. "We'll see you all later."

Halt nodded. "You two have a safe trip. Will, don't get on Gilan's nerves."

Gilan chuckled. Will smiled. "I'll see you guys later."

They both waved then Gilan directed Blaze to go. She started at a walk then went into a canter. Halt, Pauline, Becca, and Shawn waved till they were out of sight. Halt put a hand on Becca's shoulder. "I hope you enjoy staying here."

She smiled. "I will."

They all went inside the cabin.


	16. Chapter 16

Hey, guys. I know it's been a long time since I last posted. I apologize for that. I'll be making at least weekly updates now. I know this is short, but I promise the next one will be longer. I'm about to start on the next one right now. Enjoy the chapter!

Halt and Becca were in a clearing a ways into the forest behind the cabin, practicing hand to hand combat. She was making good progress, and this was her longest time fighting him yet. As she leaned back to dodge a punch, he ducked down and spun with his foot out, knocking her feet out from under her. Becca yelped and landed with a loud thud onto her back. He bent over to help her up.

"Good job. That was your longest time yet, "He said , putting a hand on her shoulder.

She sighed and looked at the ground. "But it's not up to first year standards?"

"You're past first year standards."

Her eyes widened and she looked up at him. "I am?! But, you kept saying-"

Halt interrupted her, "I know what I said. I only kept saying that because you need to be past first year standards. When we're at the Gathering, the apprentices are going to be looking for any chance to criticize you. You need to show them that you can do it."

She nodded. "When do we leave for the Gathering?"

He took his hand off her shoulder. "Tomorrow morning. It's a whole days ride from here, so we'll be getting up early. Go practice knife throwing and I'll call you when it's time for supper."

She nodded and walked off towards the cabin. Halt smiled, watching her go. She really was doing good. He couldn't wait to see how much Will had learned when he saw him at the Gathering tomorrow. He started walking to the cabin to help Pauline with supper.

Will was looking over a map with a pencil in hand, sitting on the front porch. It only had the countries on it, and no words on it at all except for what Will had wrote in. He was concentrating hard with a little bit of his tongue sticking out.

Gilan looked at him and grinned as he walked onto the porch. Geography wasn't Will's best subject, but he was trying hard to learn it. This was the final thing he had to do before the Gathering. He went and sat down in the rocking chair next to Will to wait. A few moments later, Will was done and was handing the paper to Gilan. Gilan took it and quickly scanned it.

Will sat there quietly, looking at the floor of the porch. The last time he had done this, he had gotten Toscano and Aslava mixed up. Gilan looked up from the page.

"Will."

Will looked up at him.

Gilan smiled, handing the sheet back to him. "You got them all right. You better go pack for the Gathering tomorrow. We'll be leaving early."

Will grinned widely and nodded, going into the cabin. Gilan got up and looked up at the sky, wondering how Becca was doing. He stood there for a minute then went inside to fix supper.


	17. Chapter 17

Hey, guys. Here's the next chapter, and it's longer as promised. Please review! Enjoy the chapter.

The next day, Halt and Becca left early so they could reach the Gathering spot by noon. Halt was riding Abelard and Becca was riding her horse, Spice. He was a beautiful brown horse with a white splotch on his nose. Becca looked around as they rode. She could tell by the sun that it was almost noon. She couldn't wait to see the Gathering and Will and Gilan. She hadn't seen them in two months. Both of them had beeen so busy training that there had been no time to visit.

Halt looked over at Becca and smiled. "Becca, we're just about to be and Gilan should already be here."

Her eyes lit up. A few minutes later, they rode into a big clearing with a lot of green tents and fires around. There was a big fire pit in the middle with logs around it. That must be where they all meet. She followed Halt to a empty spot, and they unmounted, taking their tents out of their packs. Just as Becca was done pitching her's, she heard a familiar voice.

"Becca!"

She turned and saw Will running towards her. She smiled and ran towards him. They hugged once they met. As she let go, she had to look up at him. He had gotten taller from the last time she had seen him. He grinned at her. "How have you been?" Has Dad been tough on you?"

"I'm good. Yeah, he's been tough but I understand why, "She answered.

Gilan walked up, and he smiled as he saw Becca. "Becca, you've gotten taller!"

She blinked. "I didn't know I had. I saw that Will has."

Gilan nodded.

"I can see he has, too."

They all turned to look at Halt as he walked up. Will hugged him. "Dad! How are Mom and Shawn?"

Halt smiled, hugging his son back. "They're good. They send their love."

A bell sounded throughout the area and they all looked in its direction.

"What's that?" Will asked.

Gilan answered him, "It's the bell to meet up in the center. We better go. We can all sit together."

They headed to the center and sat down on a log near the front. Crowley was standing near the fire pit, ringing a bell. He stopped ringing it and looked around then put it down. "I'm glad to see you all here today. Before we start anything, I would like for all the first years to come up."

Will and Becca blinked, and looked at Halt and Gilan. They motioned for them to go, and they got up, walking to the middle. Only one other boy walked up, and Crowley looked at them all, smiling. "Welcome first years to your first Gathering. This is when we all meet up to exchange information, make new fief appointments, and test all the apprentices. This year you'll be earning your bronze oakleaf to prove that you'll be good Rangers."

He turned to the crowd. "Everyone, I would like you to meet Dylan Windsor."

He motioned to the boy who Becca and Will didn't know. The boy had blonde hair and green eyes.

"He's apprenticed to David." Crowley motioned to Will. "This is Will O'Carrick."

A lot of whispering started going on, but Crowley interrupted them, "Yes, he's the son of Halt. He is apprenticed to Halt's former apprentice, Gilan."

Crowley then motioned to Becca. "This one is Becca Farley. She's the first girl apprentice in the Ranger Corps. I know many of you are skeptical about a girl being a Ranger, but I knew Becca's father before he was banished from Araluen while Morgarath had influence over the king. He was a Ranger and taught his daughter some of our skills before he died by the hands of Genovesans commanded by Morgarath."  
Everyone got silent and Becca looked at the ground. Crowley walked over to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Please make her welcome. Anyone caught trying to get her kicked out, threaten her, or any of the sort will be punished. I'm very sure that she will be a good Ranger especially since she's apprenticed to Halt."

He took his arm off her shoulders. "That's all for now. Senior Rangers, please meet me at the edge of the forest."

He turned and walked off. Will looked at Becca. "Are you okay?"

She wiped a tear away and smiled faintly. "I'll be fine."

The boy named Dylan walked over to them. "Hey, guys. I'm Dylan. It's good to meet you."

Will nodded at him. "Same to you."

Becca nodded.

Dylan looked at Becca. "I think it's awesome you're going to be the first girl Ranger."

She blinked. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. That takes courage. Well, I'll see you around."

He turned and walked away. Will and Becca started walking. "How has living with Gilan been?" She asked.

Will looked around. "It's been okay. He's tough. I miss Mom, Dad, and Shawn, but I like living with him."

She nodded. They walked for a while in silence then Will stopped. Becca stopped also and looked at him. He looked back at her. "Becca, can we go somewhere private?"

She blinked. "Yeah."

They walked into a little distance into the forest, and Will sat down under a tree. Becca sat down beside him. He looked at the ground for a few minutes then looked at her. She just watched him. He blushed. "Becca, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time."

"What is it?" She asked.

He looked back down at the ground. "Ever since we first met, I...I've had a crush on you."

He blushed even more.

She didn't say anything for a moment because she was shocked. How could she not of noticed it? When they were thirteen, it explained why he stared at her like that. She looked into his eyes as he looked up. She blushed and looked away.

He looked at her and she looked back at him. She didn't know what to do. She quickly got up. "Will, I'll talk to you later."

She ran off in the direction of the clearing. Will sighed, staring at the ground.


	18. Chapter 18

Hey, guys. Here's another chapter.

aRangersHorseLovesApples: He'll be fine.

Enjoy and please review!

Becca ran all the way through the camp till she reached her tent and stood there gasping for breath. She hadn't expected Will to have feelings for her. What should she do?

Gilan walked up and blinked, seeing her. "Becca, are you okay?"

She waited until she caught her breath and straightened up. "Not really."

He sat down on a nearby log and patted the seat next to him. "Do you want to talk about it? It might help."

She nodded and sat down beside him. "Will and I were walking and he said he wanted to tell me something and he wanted to do it in private. I followed him into the forest, and we sat down under a tree. He hesitated at first, but he told me that he's had a crush on me ever we met."

Recognition came to Gilan's eyes. "Ah. He finally told you."

She blinked and looked at him. "You knew?"

He nodded. "Halt and I could tell when we were in Iberion. Will actually told me a few days ago and asked for advice. I told him it was his choice when he wanted to tell you."

She sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"Do you have feelings for him?" He asked.

Becca's face turned red.

Gilan grinned. "You don't have to date him. It's best to wait till you're older."

Her face slowly turned back to its normal tan complexion. "Why?"

"You two are only fifteen. You have some more maturing to do. Don't date someone until you feel you're ready, "He answered.

She smiled. "Thanks, Gilan."

He returned it. "No problem."

Two bell rings sounded throughout the area and Gilan looked in its direction. "That's the signal for testing to start. The first years go first. You better get going."

Gilan watched her go. Suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder. He didn't move and looked back to see who it was. It was Halt. "Becca's okay?"

Gilan nodded. "She's fine. I told her it's best to wait till she's older."

Halt sat down beside him. "I told the same thing to Will. The only problem might be how they act around each other."

Gilan nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure at first it'll be weird, but they'll get past it."

Halt got up. "Crowley wants to see us in his tent. He probably wants to send us on a mission."

Gilan looked up. "Do you think it'll be too dangerous for Will and Becca?"

Halt shook his head. "I doubt it."

Gilan stood up and they both headed to the command tent.


	19. Chapter 19

Hey, guys. Here's another chapter. Please tell me what you think of it in a review. I love getting feedback on my writing. Enjoy!

Later on that day, the first years finished with testing and Will and Becca had tied with the top spot except Will was behind Becca in geography and Becca was behind Will in knife throwing. All of the first years earned their bronze oakleafs, and Gilan and Halt watched with pride as Crowley put the necklaces over their heads.

Halt smiled widely as he saw the excited look on his son's face, and couldn't wait to see what he would accomplish once he made it to full Ranger. Becca looked excited at first, but looked sad at the end. Crowley took her off to the side after the ceremony while Will ran over to Halt and Gilan. There was a gleam in his eyes once he reached them. Halt hugged his son tightly and whispered into his ear, "I'm proud of you."  
Will got even more excited and smiled. He looked up at Gilan and was met back with a smile. Becca soon joined them after talking to Crowley. Halt led her to the side a bit while Will talked animatedly to Gilan.

"Are you alright?"He asked.

She nodded and smiled. "I was just sad that my dad couldn't be here. Crowley assured me that he would of been proud of me."

Halt nodded and they walked back over to Will and Gilan. The rest of the Gathering went off without a hitch, and Halt and Gilan were talking at the end of it while Will and Becca packed up the campsites. The two Rangers were talking about the mission they had been assigned to.

"Does Pauline know you and Becca have been assigned to a mission?"Gilan asked.

Halt nodded. "Crowley said he would send her a message."

They watched Will and Becca for a moment then Gilan spoke up, "How is Shawn doing with the sword?"

"He's doing good. I think he might change his mind about being a Ranger. He's good with the bow, but I think he might like being a knight better," He answered.

Gilan nodded. Will and Becca soon finished packing, and they all got onto their horses. Will's horse name was Tug, and he had light blonde hair with a white blotch on his nose. They rode out of the clearing, and Gilan and Halt shared a look. Halt nodded. Gilan motioned for the apprentices to ride beside them.

They rode up and looked at them curious. Will was about to ask a question when Gilan started talking. "Will, Becca. We were assigned to a mission and are headed to Celtica immediately."

They both blinked and their gaze went to Halt as he took up telling them. "We are going to help the king of Celtica defend the main city against Skandians."

"How long does it take to get there?"Will questioned.

Halt looked at him. "Three days from the Gathering."

Will nodded. "Will we still be training?"

Gilan nodded. "Yes, the next Gathering you'll have to take the second and third year tests since you both will be Rangers in three years. The next thing you'll learn is the double knife defense."

Becca grimaced a little. Halt saw it. "You'll get better with your knives, Becca. It takes time."

She nodded.

For the rest of the ride, they all remained quiet till nightfall with only Halt and Gilan talking from time to time and the two Rangers asking or pointing out things to the apprentices. When night was about to fall, they found a campsite and set up camp. They made a fire and Gilan cooked. After they finished, Will and Halt went to bed. Gilan watched Becca then got up. "Are you sure you're okay with first watch?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine."

He nodded. "I'll relieve you in three hours."

He turned and headed to his tent. She watched him disappear inside it then got up to find a vantage point. She concealed herself in her cloak and kept a hand on her bow and an arrow, scanning the area and switching the pattern every few seconds. She kept on like that till Gilan got up to take the watch. As she wrapped herself in her cloak inside her tent, her mind went to Will and a blush came to her face. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but knew Gilan was right. As she drifted off to sleep, she imagined when she and Will were older, and maybe how it could be. She slept peacefully for the rest of the night.

Guys, the next chapter will be the 20th chapter and I've been thinking of doing something special. Do any of you have any suggestions? Please tell me in a review. Maybe do something special for the 20th review, too. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	20. Chapter 20

Here's chapter 20, guys! I apologize it took so long. I've decided to make it four years for Becca and Will to be Rangers. I don't want to rush things with them. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Please review.

The rest of the way to Celtica was normal with Becca and Will training to use the double knife defense. Each time they stopped to camp, they would practice taking turns against Gilan with fake knives and Gilan using a fake sword. Will was doing good, but Becca was lagging behind. They finally reached the border of Celtica and were allowed to go through the gate. After they had gone through the gate, Will asked Gilan how long it would take to get there. He got the answer of four days.

On the fourth morning of their journey in Celtica, Gilan, Halt, and Will were talking about Will learning Gallic. Becca had already started learning it with Halt teaching her and Pauline helping her when she could. Becca was riding beside Will and behind Halt, but wasn't paying any attention to the conversation. She was looking up at the sky, thinking about various things. As her mind went to Will, she glanced over at him, and a light blush came to her face.

"Whoa! Look at the castle!"

Becca blinked, being brought out of her thoughts by Will's yell. She looked in the direction of where he was pointing and saw a grand castle made out of gray stone. It had high soaring towers and a high archway which was part of the gate. It was almost as grand as Castle Araluen. As they headed into the gates, they were temporarily stopped by the guard and were allowed to go through after Halt handed him some papers.

They got off their horses in the courtyard and kindly refused the stable boys that offered to take their horses. The group tooks the horses to the stable, and unsaddled them and made sure they were comfortable before they left. Halt led the way to the main hall where they were greeted by one of the servants. The servant guided them to the entrance of the king's throne room, and they handed over their weapons to the steward. The king saw them in immediately.

Will and Becca acted calm as they walked in and observed the room. It was a large hall eloborately decorated with green and gold. The tall windows let sunlight in to light the room, and it made the gold stand out more. As they reached the king, the men and Will bowed while Becca gave a curtsy. The king was sitting on a large golden throne with gems of emeralds embedded at the top and sides. He had graying brown hair and a beard with his belly slightly hanging over his belt. His hazel eyes gazed at the group for a moment then he spoke, "Welcome to Castle Celtica, Rangers. I am very happy that Araluen has sent you to help us with our current problem with the Skandians. Would you like to be shown to your quarters and have lunch before we talk strategy?"

Halt stepped forward slightly. "That would be fine, your majesty."

The king nodded and picked up a bell. He shook it and a girl servant appeared curtsying. "Yes, my king?"

"Please show the guests to their rooms then show them to the eating hall for lunch."

The girl curtsied again. "As you wish, my liege."

They were led out of the throne room and stopped to collect their weapons. The servant quickly escorted them to their rooms where they put their packs, and then showed the way to the eating hall. She turned to them. "One of the servants will serve you, and you can sit anywhere at these tables to eat."

She motioned to the four tables that took up most of the room. "Ask any of the servants if you need anything. I hope you have a good stay."

She turned and left the hall. All of them went toward the table where the servants where serving food, and sat down at one of the tables that were near the center after being handed a plate of food and a drink. They ate in silence and got up to give their empty goblet and plate to the staff once they finished. As they were walking out of the hall, they were met by a woman and a young girl with blonde hair in courier outfits. A smile came onto all their faces. Halt walked over to the woman and kissed her. The girl walked over to them. "Hey, Will. Hey, Becca."

"Hey, Alyss, "Will said.

Becca gave the girl a hug. "It's good to see you."

Alyss returned it. "The same to you."

As the two girls let go, Will looked at her. "Why are Mom and you here?"

Alyss turned to look at him. "We're here to renew the treaty between Araleun and Celtica. Your mom brought me along so I could observe."

Gilan coughed and they all turned towards him. Becca and Will smiled. Will looked at Alyss. "Alyss, this is Gilan. He's my mentor. He was apprenticed to my dad."

Gilan held out his hand. "Nice to meet you."

Alyss shook it. "Same to you, sir. My name is Alyss. Will and I were in the Redmont ward's school together. I met Becca when Will and her were in the village once. We've met up more than once."

Gilan smiled, nodding. "I see. Call me Gilan."

Halt and Pauline soon came over, and Pauline immediately hugged Will. He returned the hug. "Hey, Mom."

The hug lasted for a little bit longer then she let go of him. She examined him and smiled. "You've gotten taller."

Halt put an arm around her waist. "He has."

Becca looked at Pauline. "How long are you staying?"

Pauline went to hug he. "We're not leaving till things have calmed down some."

Becca hugged her back. "I hope it calms down soon. Where's Shawn?"

Pauline stood up. "He's staying with Crowley while I'm away."

She nodded. A servant walked up the group. "Excuse me, Rangers. The king has requested your presence to discuss the Skandian problem."

Halt looked over at Gilan then at Will and Becca. "Why don't you two stay with Pauline and Alyss? Gilan and I will talk with the king."

Will nodded. "Okay."

Gilan and Halt walked off, following the servant. Pauline looked at the three teenagers. "Why don't we head up to Alyss's and my rooms?"

They nodded and started walking, following Pauline. They went up a flight of stairs then walked down a hall until they reached a room. Pauline opened the door, and let them walk in first. She walked in afterwards, closing the door.

Will and Becca sat down on a couch in the den part of the room while Pauline and Alyss took the one across from it. "How was the Gathering?"Pauline asked.

Will smiled. "It was good. Becca and I got our bronze oakleaves."

He pulled it out from under his tunic and showed them. The light caught on the copper, and flashed. Pauline's face lit up. "That's wonderful!"

Alyss nodded. "Congrats."

Becca grinned. "Thanks."

Will put the oakleaf back. "How was your trip?"

Alyss spoke up, "It was okay. Nothing eventful. Yours?"

Will replied, "Same with ours. Becca and I have been working on our double knife defense."

Becca frowned. "I'm not that good with knives."

Will looked at her. "Not that good? You got the second spot in knife throwing."

She sighed. "I know, but Dylan had even less time to prepare then we did. He'll probably be better next time."

Alyss smiled at Becca. "I'm sure you'll get better at it, Becca."

Pauline nodded. "Give it time."

Becca looked off to the side. "That's what Halt keeps saying..."

Will put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not as good as you are at Geography, Becca. You're better at it and other stuff like History better than I am."

She smiled a little. "Thanks."

Will nodded and looked over at his mom. "How's Shawn?"

"He's doing great. I honestly think he's going to go for Battleschool. He loves the sword, and all he can talk about is getting better with it, " She said.

Will smiled. "I'm glad. Maybe I can see him after this trip."

Pauline nodded. "He'll be glad to see you. He misses you a lot."

They kept talking like this for several hours, telling each other about the past two months. Alyss talked about how her apprenticeship was going, and Will and Becca talked about theirs. Pauline listened to each of them, smiling. She commented on how good Alyss was doing, and commented on how glad she was that Becca and Will were doing well. Halt and Gilan soon came in.

Halt walked to his wife and kissed her. "How has it been?"

She kissed him back. "Good. How was it with the king?"

Halt grimaced. "It could of been better."

Gilan shook his head. "We had to convince him to get most of his miners to be part of the army."

Pauline frowned. "Well, at least you convinced him."

Halt nodded. "It's late. We need to get to bed. "

Pauline looked out the window and her eyes widened a bit. "You're right. The time flew by fast." She looked back at him. "Why don't you all sleep in here? There's plenty of room."

Halt smiled. "That's a great idea. Becca and Alyss can share a room while Gilan and Will share the other one."

Becca, Will, Alyss, and Pauline got up. Pauline smiled at the teens and Gilan. "Good night, you three. Good night, Gilan."

She and Halt headed to a room on the other side of the room. Alyss took Becca's arm. "Our room is this way. Will, Gilan. Your room is other there." She pointed to a room.

Gilan smiled. "Night."

Will nodded, and he and Gilan headed off. Alyss and Becca walked to their own room. All of them settled down to sleep, and enjoyed a good night's rest.

Since this is the 20th chapter, I've decided to do something special. Whoever finds out what Shawn's middle name is and pms me first will get a spoiler. I've also decided to do something for reviews. Whoever does the 50th review also gets a spoiler. I hope you guys have a great day/night.

Hint: Shawn's middle name was used in the story.


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